Sushi bar at Shogun.

ALTON - Excitement is building each day for the opening of the new Shogun Japanese Steak House in Alton at 2723 Corner Court in Alton.

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The new restaurant is owned by the Liu family and will feature authentic Japanese cuisine. A grand opening is set for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 4. RiverBender.com was given an opportunity to see the inside of the restaurant.

When patrons come into the new restaurant, they will be stunned at the beautiful décor and sleek ambience. The renovation of the old Golden Corral building was an investment into the millions and it shows, especially on the inside.

The glassware is something people won’t see anywhere else, and much of it is imported special from Japan. There is a Japanese doll collection near the sushi bar, donated by a local woman. The woman’s husband works for a Japanese company and she donated the dolls because she is so excited about the Shogun arrival. The new restaurant sports new tiles, lights, marbles, carpet, walls and more.

Fei Shiro Liu, one of the family owners in the business, said the slogan for the business is fairly simple: “Customers are always No. 1.”

“In Japan, if you go to a restaurant and only spend a $1 you are treated the same if you spend $100,” Liu said. “We want people to be treated the same here, no matter how much money they spend. We want people to feel like this is a family restaurant and we want people to come in over and over. We will treat the customers like family.”

The Liu family has been extraordinarily successful in the restaurant business with three other locations. The Fairview Heights location is probably the most known to residents here. Liu said many Alton customers visited the Fairview Heights location and talked so much about the family bringing it to Alton that the family did the research. In the end, they thought it made sense to open an Alton restaurant.

The new restaurant will blend the Japanese approach to food preparation, but also appeal to American tastes.

Fei Shiro Liu

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The Hibachi and sushi areas of the restaurant will be extremely popular in Alton because there is no other place like it in the city.

Alton Mayor has expressed over and over to Liu family how excited he is for it to come here. He said Shogun will be “a destination” for people from other communities to visit and is one more plus for the city.

Hibachi cooking refers to an open-topped Japanese heating device. It consists of a round, cylindrical or box-shaped open-topped container, made from the heatproof material. The food will be prepared in grills positioned right inside the main part of the restaurant.

A head hibachi chef has been hired with several years of experience. Liu said all the chefs will have their own personalities and be entertaining for customers.

See inside look video of Shogun:

Just like the other locations, the sushi will be prepared right in front of customers.

Liu expects the sushi and steaks to be immensely popular. There is a wide variety of both, along with other fish dishes for those who don’t want it uncooked. Only fresh fish and vegetables will be used in the new Shogun, Liu said.

Liu is excited about a new Volcano drink for two with a combination of liquors and said that should be popular with couples. The new Shogun will feature the popular beer Sapporo and other Japanese and American varieties and various wines, including some from Japan.

The young entrepreneur said he has been amazed how many people have come in and out checking to see when the restaurant will open.

“The estimated time to do the renovations on the restaurant was eight months, but it has been done in less than half a year because people are so excited,” Liu said. “We can’t wait to open the doors this week.”

For more info, the restaurant’s new number is 618-468-1111, e-mail is ourshogun@gmail.com and the website is www.shogunsteakhousealton.com

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